I decided to write to Zynga myself and see what they had to say about secret stashes being “found” and the persistent posts about programs/bots/tools being used to grab them.

I’ve read replies to others from them regarding this matter. All said the same thing. “It’s a Zynga glitch and has nothing to do with tools/programs/bots.” But I wanted one so I could get a screen shot once and for all.

So imagine my surprise.

My letter to Zynga (emphasis mine):

RE: Secret stashes

My mafia members post secret stashes on my wall. (The loot found during fighting.) When I click on “Open Secret Reward” on the post, I usually get this message on my MW page: “This stash has already been found. Fight another mafia now to find your own.”

I’ve been told the secret stashes are being stolen by a tool called “snag bar” which is available through Gamers Unite. I’ve also been told there’s a program that steals the loot. And I’ve been told your own FV loot snag tool can be manipulated to steal these items from MW.

Furthermore, I’ve been told that there are bots that automatically steal this loot from my feed.

I’d like to know two things — why am I getting these messages about the stashes being found already, and what are you going to do about it other than having your game developers “work on it/ look into it”? This has been going on for a while, and I’ve lost a LOT of nice weapons/vehicles/armor because of it.

Or is there really a tool/program/bot/internet kleptomaniac fairy stealing my stuff? I would like to buy things in order to strengthen, but these messages are a constant reminder as to why I shouldn’t invest real money in MW. If I can’t get the free stuff, I doubt I’ll be able to get the paid-for stuff.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Leisa Tarascon

———–

Zynga’s response (again — emphasis mine):

Hello Leisa,

Thanks for contacting Zynga Customer Support.

My name is Sal and I’ll be happy to help you today. It is regrettable that these kind of tools exist and remove a balance from an otherwise crafted experience. I understand that you have been told before that our Development Team is working on it but I assure you that they are using all the resources available to them to prevent this type of behavior in the players, I would greatly for your patience and understanding as it being taken care of presently. I am a Mafia Wars daily player and am affected by these things as well so I understand how much of an inconvenience this is.

I assure that our purchasing system is completely safe and under no circumstances will any of the money you spend will be lost. We guarantee that your Items or your RP will arrive to your account safely, so please don’t let this concern stop you from enhancing your game experience by purchasing our products.

Again I want to apologize for the inconvenience all this has caused, the Developers will find a solution shortly. If you have any other questions or concerns about the game please let me know I’ll be happy to assist you.

Have a nice day!

Kind regards,
Sal A.
Zynga Customer Support

———

My response to their response:

Dear Sal:

So you’re saying that the tools, bots and programs I mentioned — including your own tool for Farmville — are stealing the secret stashes and loot.

That’s interesting and I will be posting your response so the players of your games on Facebook will have the whole story directly from a Zynga rep.

However, this doesn’t help me in any way whatsoever, nor does it allay my concerns about spending my real, actual money on Zynga games. If your own tools can be manipulated to steal pretend inventory and loot, I’m sure other situations have arose and will arise that would cause me to lose said real, actual money.

Please forward this to your supervisors since the last time this was discussed with another support person, it was said no bots, programs or tools were stealing anything and this was a Zynga glitch. I’m sure they’ll appreciate being advised of the new information you’ve provided.

Leisa Tarascon

———
Their next responses –

Response (Salvador A.) 07/20/2010 10:39 AM

Hello Leisa,

Thank you for contacting Zynga Customer Support.

This is Sal again, thank you for the quick response. I am very sorry if my last email was unclear, currently our Development Team is making progress in adding more secure system so that this kind of concerns won’t affect players in the future. I have determined that a higher level of support will be needed to investigate your issue. I have escalated your Support Request to them for their review. You should be hearing from them soon.

Again, I am truly sorry that you are experiencing issues with these Bots, if that is actually the case, from some dishonest players use in order to get some advantage over honest players like yourself.

Kind regards,
Sal A.
Zynga Customer Support

—
And then this:

Response (Jose C.) 07/20/2010 12:44 PM
Hello Leisa,

Thanks for contacting Zynga Customer Support.

My name is James, I have read your email and I will be more than glad to assist you! I am rally sorry for the huge misunderstanding generated by the previous representative. Believe me, this is not accurate information. Zynga will never allow under any circumstance the existence of any program intended for talking what our players have worked so hard to earn.

This is completely unacceptable and I can completely assure you that if we detect any malicious software in our games we will have it eliminated right away and any user responsible will be banned.

And remember, if you have any other comments or doubts, contact me at any time! We are here to help you!

Thank you very much for playing Mafia Wars, Leisa!

Kind regards,
James
Zynga Customer Support

—–

Any question as to the incompetency of this company? I wrote back and demanded a straight answer as to whether or not tools are stealing anything. Will I get one? We’ll see. Stay tuned!

Now, before the sheep get their wool twisted, take note — The original support guy (Sal) is so poorly trained that he “confesses” that Zynga’s own FV tool can be manipulated to steal Mafia Wars inventory and loot. THIS ISN’T TRUE. So don’t go and manipulate my communication with this idiot company. This merely shows how inept they are, not that anything steals anything, especially their own tools!

And I’m sure I’ll get a response that says just that once my email falls into the hands of someone who has enough sense not to agree with a claim that his own company is stealing stuff from their own games. Jeesh.

Leisa